After Dark Originals... What You Need to Know and What You Think.

If you click on this link, you'll be taken to the future home page of After Dark Originals. Now, you may be asking yourself, "What, exactly, is After Dark Originals?". Well, let's take a look...

After Dark Films is an independent motion picture studio, formed in 2006, by Courtney Solomon and Hong Kong based real estate magnate, Allan Zeman. Solomon is a filmmaker, most notably having directed both "Dungeons & Dragons" and "An American Haunting". Allan Zeman lives in Hong Kong, is of Jewish decent, and is involved in everything from Wynn Resorts to fashion to film and TV. Their paths must have somehow crossed in Canada, as Solomon is from Toronto and Zeman lived in Canada for most of his life, just recently renouncing his citizenship in 2008. The first film under the After Dark banner was Solomon's "An American Haunting". Shortly after that, After Dark formed a multi-year marketing and distribution deal with Lionsgate for Horrorfest's "8 Films To Die For". After Dark would handle the theatrical marketing and releases, Lionsgate would handle the distribution of all ancillary forms, such as home video, pay TV, pay per view, VOD, etc. Building on the success of Horrorfest, After Dark and Lionsgate are going to team up with NBC Universal's SyFy channel with the new series, After Dark Originals. Basically, instead of acquiring films, they're now going to produce their own - full control from script concept through final editing. Seven of the eight films slated have been shot and they've already green lit the second set of Originals for season two.

Now, let's get to my thoughts. Well, there's a lot of good stuff going on here. I love the fact that they've tapped directors like Brett Simmons, the guy behind "Husk" - a film that took Sundance by storm and Steven C. Miller, who did the low-budget zombie masterpiece, "Automaton Transfusion". It's also great to see NBC and Lionsgate getting involved in bringing some lower-budget horror to fruition. I can only hope that the guys over at Paramount, who are heading up the new micro-budget label, Insurge, are watching closely and taking notes. All of this is great for us and it can do nothing but grow the awareness and prominence of micro-budget and low-budget horror films, but... I'm still weary about how these guys are handling it. So, here's my concerns... My main issue comes from the fact that they're continuing to tap the existing success stories, as opposed to reaching down into the indie trenches and nurturing the potential of up-and-coming talent. I understand that Lionsgate, After Dark, NBC, Paramount and Viacom are all looking for profitability over good will, but there are ways to hedge for success. They have a chance to not only expand and develop an audience for these films, but they also have the chance to introduce new distribution channels and formats that will pave the way for up-and-comers to become those success stories. I can only hope that they keep that in mind... In reality, film talent can be a renewable and growable (is that a word?) resource and if they tap the potential, they can build this small sub-sect of the industry along with building some careers. If they just try to tap the success stories and existing talent, they're treating film talent like a finite resource and, I'm sorry, it's going to dry up. How do you manage all of this successfully? Well, I've got some ideas swirling around in my head... and if anyone from Lionsgate, After Dark, NBC, Paramount or Viacom wants to hear them, just reach down into the trenches and contact me.

Those are my thoughts, what do you think?

Indie Horror Related News And Info From The World Wide Web

It seems like we've reached a tipping point with the internet... I mean, not the news part, the distribution part. So, I'm definitely going to be posting once a week on internet and internet related things that are pertinent to indie horror or indie filmmaking. At this point, the internet is your biggest, best and cheapest tool for marketing and PR, but, soon enough, it could be your easiest and most profitable distribution channel. The internet! It's not just for porn anymore!

So, right out of the gate, here's some big news... Although the video's will be hosted by the studios, who will retain control, collect traffic and ad revenue and avoid sticky copyright problems, Youtube is now, in fact, showing Sony, CBS and Lionsgate Movies... legally. Click here to see the article on TheWrap.com called "Youtube Creates Channel for Movies, TV Shows". This is actually a pretty big deal for a few reasons... the first reason is, this legitimizes Youtube as a real distribution channel and could enable it to create partnerships and generate some real revenue. For you, it means you could follow suit. If it catches on, there's no reason that there wouldn't be a Sony channel, a CBS channel, a Lionsgate channel, a Dead Harvey channel and your channel... then people could scroll through them, mark favorites and use it like they use iTunes. The other thing that I think is pretty big here is what it could mean for the internet as a distribution channel. Currently, the internet is seen as a place where people get pirated and illegal content, plus watch videos of people getting kicked in the balls and check out tranny porn. This shit here, this is legal. This can create a win/win situation. I mean, what if the studios started teaming up with the Torrent sites next and said, fine... remove prerelease and leaked stuff, like what just happened with "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (My God, what a disaster!) and we'll provide you with DVD quality releases when they're legitimately released on DVD... but we're putting in ads and we want a good portion of the revenue. Like I said, this all adds up... and one day, the internet will be your biggest distribution source and major studios and indie guys alike will both be making money off it.

So, check this out... We've talked plenty about the future of film and I've mentioned how I think that, as we progress, you're going to see more and more marketing and advertising dollars subsidizing film projects. To me, it just makes sense... it's no cost to the viewer, it helps pay for production and the advertiser gets their brand in front of an audience. Everyone wins. Well, now there's Filmmortal. Taken right from their site, "Filmmortal is a revolutionary tool which enables Filmmakers and Advertisers to bid on Product Placement opportunities in REAL TIME. The company was founded on the principle to help aspiring and talented indie filmmakers get their dream projects made by receiving financial aid in return for placing products and brands in scenes or storylines." I'm not sure when they got started, as there's not a ton of activity on it... but there is activity. In fact, there's some serious activity. I don't think it costs anything, so you should definitely check it out. Why wouldn't you try to raise some extra coin by listing your project?

Like I've said many times before, when you're an indie filmmaker, you're not just the filmmaker. You also have to be the producer, the PR guy, the marketer, the agent, manager... everything. And marketing and PR is probably the biggest thing that you need to know, it'll make or break your film. It'll make it sit on your computer or it'll put it on the shelves of your local video store. Having said that, there's always something you can learn from watching the big boys... and here's an article to check out from Adage.com called "Marketing Lessons from "Paul Blart: Mall Cop", which you can find here. Now, to be honest, after reading the article, things like The Superbowl and when you release your film aren't going to have much of an effect for you, but there is stuff you can take away from this. I think the most important thing is to try to involve your community. Get locals involved, inform the local press of what you're doing, then, once it's done, try to get a local screening, promote the hell out of it in town. Then, put together a press kit, based on everything that you did. Not only will doing all that boost your confidence and get you rolling, the press kit and the result of doing all that could help you sell the film.

Lastly... another strange clip wound up in my inbox. I think the cat's out of the bag on what's going on here, but... did you see the first one? Find it here.

linkapalooza - August 18, 2008: '5 or Die' revealed, "The Gates of Hell" unveiled and other indie horror news...

Tom Holland Debuts New Web Series '5 OR DIE' on Bloody-Disgusting.com: Last week, I told you guys about that mysterious clip that mysteriously didn't get sent to us at Dead Harvey, but did get sent to a bunch of other horror sites... well, it was quickly revealed that "5 or Die" is a new short film from writer/director Tom Holland, they guy who did "Child's Play". It's debuting exclusively on Stike TV, which is that new online channel that a bunch of writers created during the writer's strike. A lot of people seem to think that Strike TV may be a huge catalyst for pushing people to online entertainment and something that will be a major thorn in the side of network tv, as it's one of the only online channels that is made strictly by professionals. I'm not sure how you go about finding "5 or Die", specifically, buy you can find Strike TV here.

"The Gates of Hell" trailer on Youtube: Not really news, but I came across this... and I had to share. It's the trailer for first time director, Kelly Dolen's upcoming film, "The Gates of Hell". It's about five adventurous filmmakers who set out to make an online interactive movie, exploring the nature of evil, who soon find themselves the subject of their own intentions as they accidentally uncover the heinous truth that has been secretly hidden in the bowels of Von Diebitsch Manor for generations. I know, I know... it sounds like something you've seen a thousand times, but trust me... click on the link up there and you'll find out what I found out - that this is going to be awesome.

Lionsgate Expects More Revenue Gains on THR.com: Guess what? Lionsgate is making money... and guess where they make it? "The growing Blu-ray and digital markets". Lionsgate finances a lot of their own movies, but they make tons of money off of aquiring and distributing indie horror films. Lionsgate is fun to watch because I think they really do have it right... they're one of the only major players that gets how lucrative the indie horror business is. So, if they're doing well, you know that there is a market for all this stuff we're making and putting out there.

How Virtual Reality Is Coming to the Movies on adage.com: I just thought I'd pass this on because it's just plain crazy. Basically, they're talking about "cinema 2.0" and how the worlds of film and video games are going to collide. Essentially, graphics cards are so fast now, that it'll be possible to render actors virtually, then make movies interactive... like a video game. Such as, "playing a movie at home, users can change plots, interact with characters and even create new endings." Further, as they can render actors into simulated environments, directors can "envision his film" before they shoot it. I'm betting I could finance 5 indie horror films for the amount of money they would spend on "envisioning" ONE scene.

Lastly, check out the poster for Saw V's Blood Drive (click to enlarge... I think):

Linkapalooza - July 16, 2008... Quentin Tarantino is a bastard, er.. basterd. Uh, basturd?

As usual, lots of interesting things going on out there. This weeks Linkapalooza is a giant 'potpouri' of links, as some of this is fan-boy stuff and some of this is industry stuff. Either way, enjoy...

News recently broke about the script for Tarantino's long talked about WWII epic, "Inglorious Bastards" ...and I got so excited, I had to sit down. Here's a couple articles - Doubt Quentin Tarantino All You Want - But INGLORIOUS BASTARDS Will Carve Its Mark Into Your Skull When It Is Done! - on Aint in Cool News & We’ve Got Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglorious Bastards’ Script. I'm not going to lie, I'll be honest. I'm not a Tarantino fan... and I'll leave it at that. I've been in many a debate over it and I wouldn't shy away from another one, but that's for another day. Brad, on the other hand, is. So, this link is for him. I only ask one thing, check out that second article, what's with that handwritten title page? Is he a complete invalid? Not only does he write like a 2 year old, he spells "bastard" B A S T E R D. Anyhow, like him or hate him, "Inglorious Bassturds" is coming...

Michael Bay talks 'Transformers 2' and 'Friday the 13th' remake on EW.com: This is fairly fluff, but Entertainment Weekly talked with Michael Bay about 'Transformers 2' and 'Friday the 13th'. It's a fairly short interview and the bulk of it is actually about 'Friday the 13th'. If you're like me and don't want to see this remade and think that Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes are just money grubbing trolls for remaking it, you'll find it interesting to see how he tries to sell it. "We're fans ourselves!", "We try to be faithful", "You're just not going to believe the first 12 minutes!". If you're excited about the film and have nothing against Bay, the interview will reveal nothing, it's exactly what you thought it would be.

Now, on to some cool industry shit... PLAYSTATION Network's Video Delivery Service to Offer Movies and TV Shows for Purchase and Rental Through PLAYSTATION 3 and PSP - on iStockAnalyst.com: Here's the thing, if you're a regular reader, you'll probably remember the post about the Sony Bravia being able to connect to the internet and act as a segue, right? Well, Sony's making sure they own this space, they're pulling out all the stops. Basically, they want the PS3 to be the center-piece of the family room. They want it to be the portal where you watch movies, play video games, cruise the internet, everything... they're not alone, though. Microsoft is trying to do the same thing with XBox and then there's my underdog in the arean, Roku and Netflix, who are trying, as well. However, my underdog may REALLY be a crippled underdog, as they probably won't be capable of cruising the internet, let alone playing video games on. Whatever... either way, the way we watch movies and consume media is going to change, my friends!

Lionsgate, YouTube strike ad-share deal - on THR.com: Uh oh... what's going on out there? First... Sony, Microsoft and Roku are fighting to get a device in your living room that connects to the internet, now Lionsgate strikes a deal with Youtube? WTF? Don't take this lightly, by the way... studios used to be so arogant, they thought they could control how, when and where you saw films. Now, they're reeling. Not only that, they're trying everything to squeeze more money out of their catalogue of films. This is actually monumentary. Lionsgate is now working with a website that's known for showing pirated content. Basically, Lionsgate is getting its own Youtube channel, where they show their content, run ads and split revenue with Youtube.

TV Trends:Consumers Demand Control - on eMarketer.com: If you're willing to pay $695.00, you can actually buy the full 24 page report with all 58 charts, however if you click on the link there, you get 1 graph and a short blurb... which was enough for me. These guys do studies for the industry, then sell the studies and this time they did a study on TV Trends. Here's what they found... "Video-on-demand (VOD), digital video recorders (DVRs), the broadband Web, and 3G mobile phones are giving TV consumers new ways to access and watch TV (and they) estimate that by 2012 nearly 25% of all TV content watched each day will be time-shifted, on-demand, on the Web or on a mobile device." Better get that indie horror ready for VOD, DVR's, the web and 3G mobile phones...